| Virginia Mason Medical Center | |
|---|---|
 A view of Virginia Mason Medical Center from 9th Ave. and Seneca St. | |
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| Geography | |
| Location | Seattle,Washington, United States |
| Coordinates | 47°36′37″N122°19′38″W / 47.61028°N 122.32722°W /47.61028; -122.32722 |
| Organization | |
| Funding | Non-profit hospital |
| History | |
| Opened | 1920 |
| Links | |
| Website | vmfh.org |
| Lists | Hospitals in Washington state |
Virginia Mason Medical Center is an integrated hospital, training and research facility located inSeattle, Washington, USA. It was the founding location, in 1920, of the private, non-profit Virginia Mason health organization; in January 2021, the Virginia Mason organization merged withCHI Franciscan to form Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, under the parent companyCommonSpirit Health. After the merger, the Virginia Mason Medical Center continues under its original name.
Virginia Mason Medical Center is organized into a "system of integrated health services:"[1]
Virginia Mason is affiliated withYakima Valley Memorial Hospital, Evergreen Healthcare, and St. Francis Hospital.[1] It also engages inphilanthropic efforts through its Virginia Mason Foundation, under the guidance of a community board.[1]
Virginia Mason Medical Center was founded in 1920 by three physicians: John M. Blackford, James Tate Mason, and Maurice Dwyer; it was named after the daughters of Blackford and Mason.[1] Two years later it created its own school of nursing, whichbecame affiliated with theUniversity of Washington in 1957.[3]
In 1960,Alan E. Nourse, who was anintern at Virginia Mason, wroteThe Intern;[3] it was published byHarper & Row in 1965, under the pseudonym "Doctor X".[4]
In 1985, Virginia Mason installed the firstlithotripter in the Pacific Northwest.[3]
In 2002, Virginia Mason spearheaded an effort to improve patient safety and quality of care by adopting theToyota Production System (TPS) to health care. Named the Virginia Mason Production System, Virginia Mason was the first health care institution to implement the TPS philosophy throughout the institution. The two main tenets of this system are to minimize waste through just-in-time production and eliminate defects in the system by empowering staff to "stop the line" whenever they detect a patient safety or quality problem. It was one of the first hospitals in the US to make flu vaccination mandatory for staff.[5] The problem is then analyzed and a solution tested out in a Rapid Process Improvement Workshop. VMPS is reported to have saved the institution $12 to 15 million over the course of six years.[6] Their efforts have resulted in Virginia Mason consistently being namedLeapfrog Group's top hospitals, and one of two top hospitals of the decade in 2010.[7]
In 2007, theSeattle Seahawks named their new training facility onLake Washington theVirginia Mason Athletic Center, as "part of a broad Seattle Seahawks and Virginia Mason partnership to support the health and well-being of our community."[8]
In 2008, Virginia Mason Medical Center established a breast clinic staffed by nurse practitioners to provide comprehensive testing and interpretation services such as breast examinations, mammography, and ultrasound to reduce unnecessary imaging studies and physician visits.[9]
In 2012, Virginia Mason joinedCleveland Clinic,Geisinger Medical Center,Mayo Clinic, Mercy HospitalSpringfield in Missouri,[10] andScott & White Memorial Hospital as apreferred provider inWalmart's "Center of Excellence" employee healthcare program, as a specialist in cardiac procedures, including "coronary artery bypass grafting, heartvalve replacement/repair, closures ofheart defects,thoracic andaortic aneurysm repair"[11]
In 2014, the medical center announced that it will offer bundled payments and warranties for total hip and total knee replacements for self-insured employers and private insurers.[12]
Jeremy Hunt announced a five-year, £12.5m programme to bring in Virginia Mason to assist five EnglishNHS trusts using clinical engagement and culture tools including the Patient Safety Alert System and electronic dashboard. Hunt said “The achievements at Virginia Mason over the past decade are truly inspirational and I’m delighted they will now help NHS staff to learn the lessons that made their hospital one of the safest in the world – patients will see real benefits as a result.”[13]
In 2016, Virginia Mason Medical Center formally affiliated withYakima Valley Memorial Hospital.[14]
In August 2020, Virginia Mason opened a birth center, which employed 55 nurses and averaged 50 births a month.[15]
In January 2021, Virginia Mason announced they had merged withCHI Franciscan to form Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, under the parent companyCommonSpirit Health.[16]
In October 2024, Virginia Mason closed its birthing center. Patients were transferred to other birthing centers in the Seattle area.[17]
Vin Gupta serves as a part-time pulmonologist at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health.[18]
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